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I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture by A. D. Jameson
neilrcoulter's review against another edition
1.0
By about halfway through, I didn't feel like finishing this book. I'm stubborn and obsessive, and so I did finish it. But it wasn't worth it.
The main problem with I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing is that it is almost purely descriptive, with very little critical reflection. What A. D. Jameson writes is little more than what any geek already knows from reading some of the same websites Jameson reads. The end result is a book that I guess would be useful for aliens visiting Earth who don't have internet access; otherwise, it's unnecessary.
Jameson is a big fan of Marvel movies (and I'm not), and one of his main purposes with this book is to prove that superhero/fantasy movies are just as "realistic" as the grittier, real world–based movies that critics fear have been harmed by the popularity of Marvel and Star Wars and other franchises. He asserts that what geeks want is, in fact, not escapism exactly, but the creation of a fantastic world that demonstrates internal logic and cohesion. Thus, he suggests, there's really no difference between Taxi Driver and Avatar, and so people shouldn't be so harsh toward geeky properties.
Ok, fine. I grant him that critiques based on realism-vs.-fantasy are inadequate. But that leaves ninety-nine other ways to criticize big-franchise filmmaking.
Jameson briefly mentions the commercialism that drives the big franchise titles but, again, says that all movies are selling something, so why look down on Marvel and Star Wars? And sure, that's true to a point. But I think it's wrong to say that the commercial motivations are equal for all filmmaking. Selling action figures of Iron Man probably means something different for Marvel Studios than selling action figures of, say, Gene Hackman in The Conversation does to Francis Ford Coppola.
And that brings up another point that I was surprised Jameson didn't mention: directors vs. studios. One of the recent trends in geeky movies is the clear idea that directors don't matter very much. Edgar Wright with Ant-Man, Gareth Edwards on Rogue One, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with Solo . . . the message here is that the studio is making the decisions, and making them based on what they think audiences will pay for and how one movie interacts with another, rather than based on a single movie's own integrity. All three of those movies turned out fine (in fact, I rank Rogue One as one of the best-ever Star Wars movies), but I still believe the ideal situation is one filmmaker enacting a clear vision for what that one film is supposed to be and do. I find it odd that this issue wasn't part of Jameson's book.
I don't recommend I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing, but there are other similar books that are much more worthwhile. For people who want to read a behind-the-scenes account of the original Star Wars trilogy, I recommend J. W. Rinzler's series of comprehensive Making of books. How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, by Chris Taylor, is an excellent look at the social, cultural, and historical influence of Star Wars. And for a book about thinking about Star Wars, I like The World According to Star Wars, by Cass Sunstein. Any of those books are better choices than this one.
The main problem with I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing is that it is almost purely descriptive, with very little critical reflection. What A. D. Jameson writes is little more than what any geek already knows from reading some of the same websites Jameson reads. The end result is a book that I guess would be useful for aliens visiting Earth who don't have internet access; otherwise, it's unnecessary.
Jameson is a big fan of Marvel movies (and I'm not), and one of his main purposes with this book is to prove that superhero/fantasy movies are just as "realistic" as the grittier, real world–based movies that critics fear have been harmed by the popularity of Marvel and Star Wars and other franchises. He asserts that what geeks want is, in fact, not escapism exactly, but the creation of a fantastic world that demonstrates internal logic and cohesion. Thus, he suggests, there's really no difference between Taxi Driver and Avatar, and so people shouldn't be so harsh toward geeky properties.
Ok, fine. I grant him that critiques based on realism-vs.-fantasy are inadequate. But that leaves ninety-nine other ways to criticize big-franchise filmmaking.
Jameson briefly mentions the commercialism that drives the big franchise titles but, again, says that all movies are selling something, so why look down on Marvel and Star Wars? And sure, that's true to a point. But I think it's wrong to say that the commercial motivations are equal for all filmmaking. Selling action figures of Iron Man probably means something different for Marvel Studios than selling action figures of, say, Gene Hackman in The Conversation does to Francis Ford Coppola.
And that brings up another point that I was surprised Jameson didn't mention: directors vs. studios. One of the recent trends in geeky movies is the clear idea that directors don't matter very much. Edgar Wright with Ant-Man, Gareth Edwards on Rogue One, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with Solo . . . the message here is that the studio is making the decisions, and making them based on what they think audiences will pay for and how one movie interacts with another, rather than based on a single movie's own integrity. All three of those movies turned out fine (in fact, I rank Rogue One as one of the best-ever Star Wars movies), but I still believe the ideal situation is one filmmaker enacting a clear vision for what that one film is supposed to be and do. I find it odd that this issue wasn't part of Jameson's book.
I don't recommend I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing, but there are other similar books that are much more worthwhile. For people who want to read a behind-the-scenes account of the original Star Wars trilogy, I recommend J. W. Rinzler's series of comprehensive Making of books. How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, by Chris Taylor, is an excellent look at the social, cultural, and historical influence of Star Wars. And for a book about thinking about Star Wars, I like The World According to Star Wars, by Cass Sunstein. Any of those books are better choices than this one.
zombi02's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. It started off interesting, a history of geek culture. But then it felt too personal in its experiences and opinions that when they were lumped into a "all geeks feel this way" tangent, I wasn't feeling it. Being a geek myself I know that everyone has different opinions and that geeks tend to argue that their opinion is correct and your wrong for not agreeing with them, but this was a little too much for me. I found myself getting bored and annoyed at some points. I also thought it was weird that not a single female geek was mentioned by name at length. Women are geeks too and despite men "dominating" the scene we are still here and helped contribute. All in all it was a tough read from an attention holding point of view. Halfway thro it became somewhat repetitive and I had a hard time caring what happened next.
deanna_etc's review against another edition
2.0
I learned a few things about film lore and geekdom, and it was a light, easy, and charming read.
courtneylee87's review against another edition
2.0
Jameson’s use of familiar examples from Star Wars and other popular fandoms allows him to connect with a wide audience base. This gives the book the feel of having a conversation with a friend who knows a lot about a particular topic. Those who consider themselves geeks or not will find something recognizable in the pages, even if it is just the movie references. There is connectivity and fluidity from chapter to chapter through Jameson’s use of a general timeline, film, book, and other references. He uses his academic background to his advantage, laying out each point of his arguments with substantial supporting evidence. It definitely makes for an interesting read no matter your level of fandom.
That said, however, some readers may find a lack of shared interest due to the primary example of Star Wars. While geek culture is now synonymous with popular culture, not everyone has been on board with it since the beginning. There are those who are more familiar with Lord of the Rings or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or those who have no interest in Star Wars or Star Trek but still consider themselves to be “geeks”. If a reader is not willing to embrace the primary example and main argument proposed by the author, this book can be a very slow read. Though the title and summary suggest a more broad inclusive of what is considered to be “geek culture”, non-fans of the Star Wars franchise may feel left out of the author’s target audience.
I gave this book a 2-star rating mainly because I felt like I was not the target audience. I learned a lot, but at the same time, I felt left out of the conversation. I consider myself a casual fan of Star Wars, and that could have been the main problem. Also, I just didn't connect with the author's tone throughout the book.
That said, however, some readers may find a lack of shared interest due to the primary example of Star Wars. While geek culture is now synonymous with popular culture, not everyone has been on board with it since the beginning. There are those who are more familiar with Lord of the Rings or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or those who have no interest in Star Wars or Star Trek but still consider themselves to be “geeks”. If a reader is not willing to embrace the primary example and main argument proposed by the author, this book can be a very slow read. Though the title and summary suggest a more broad inclusive of what is considered to be “geek culture”, non-fans of the Star Wars franchise may feel left out of the author’s target audience.
I gave this book a 2-star rating mainly because I felt like I was not the target audience. I learned a lot, but at the same time, I felt left out of the conversation. I consider myself a casual fan of Star Wars, and that could have been the main problem. Also, I just didn't connect with the author's tone throughout the book.
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